Dance is worse than ink

Magistrate Judge Karina Morozova of the Khamovnichesky Court sentenced Yuri Piotrovsky, found guilty of vandalism in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, to a year of restricted freedom. Piotrovsky, as the court found, poured ink on two icons in the temple. The prosecutor's office asked to sentence him to two years of restricted freedom; the court chose a more lenient punishment. Piotrovsky was given credit for seven months spent in a pre-trial detention center. Now he must inform special authorities within a year if he wants to leave St. Petersburg, where he is registered. In addition, he is prohibited from visiting Christian churches for a year (and only Christian ones - churches of other faiths can be visited). Piotrovsky was released in the courtroom.

The women who tried to hold the “Virgin Mary, drive out Putin” rally in the same church under the guise of Pussy Riot and were extremely quickly expelled from there were sentenced to two years in prison. Of course, they managed to make a number of not the most appropriate gestures, as well as shout out a completely inappropriate text, but nothing in the temple, except the feelings of the believers, was harmed. However, their act was considered hooliganism with elements of inciting hatred towards, for unknown reasons, a designated social group “Orthodox believers”, and even a destruction of traditional foundations. However, there is a suspicion that the severity of the sentence (especially in comparison with Piotrovsky’s vandalism) is explained by the fact that the action had a very specific addressee, and he was offended. But, of course, no one wants to officially acknowledge this fact.